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TUESDAY, Nov. 20, 2012 — Job loss and unemployment can raise heart attack risk as much as smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure, according to a study published online Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The findings, out of Duke University, shed light on the health consequences of a bad economy. Small businesses close, stock prices fall, people lose their homes to foreclosure or fear foreclosure, and they lose jobs or fear losing jobs.

"Of course when the economy is as bad as it is now, it does cause a lot of stress," says Linda George, PhD, a sociologist at Duke and one of the authors of the heart attack study. "The job loss that some people experience is part of it."

But Dr. George says there is research to suggest that even if you don't lose your job, fear you might lose your job has health implications. "That has not been linked directly to heart attack, but it has been linked to poor overall health, and especially depression and anxiety," she says.

"The primary physiological consequences of stress include a decrease in immune function, increase in inflammation, and a constant readiness for fight-or-flight response, because you're feeling super-vigilant and threatened," George explains.

All three — decreased immune function, increased inflammation, and the fight-or-flight response — are linked to many different illnesses, she says, so it's difficult to predict how stress might physically affect one person compared to another. It could exacerbate asthma in one person and arthritis in someone else. For others it's cardiovascular or digestive issues.

"The same physiological pathways can lead to very different illnesses, but a wide range of illnesses are exacerbated or triggered by stress," she says.

Fighting Stress in a Bad Economy

George, who has studied stress for more than 30 years, recommends regular, moderate exercise as one of the best antidotes. She also suggests eating a balanced diet — not necessarily for weight loss, but for nutrients. In general, keeping healthy habits can help limit stress. And don't underestimate the importance of personal relationships. Talking to friends and family, and taking time to relax with them, can ease the emotional burden.

TELL US: Have you dealt with job loss and unemployment? Did it take a toll on your health? (Note: Mobile users won't be able to comment.)

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